We all have Nightmares - Series part 6
by riley2002
Summary: Claudia has a nightmare and seeks out her two favorite security blankets.


**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N:** Mostly fluff, hopefully with a chuckle or two. I just don't seem to be able to get away from these three.

* * *

Helena was the first to wake up, sitting straight up in bed, listening intently. Myka opened her eyes, wordlessly questioning her before she heard the knock. Looking at the clock Myka grumbled, "Is this place cursed? Why does everything always happen at two in the morning?"

Helena was already up trying to sort through the clothing on the floor, throwing various garments to the woman sitting up in bed. "Myka, must we really leave our clothing in such disarray?" There was another louder knock on the door.

Despite all of Helena's efforts, Myka dressed quickly and was half way down the stairs, trying to make some order of her messed up hair. "As I recall, it was you that was in such a hurry to get them off last night when you got home." The knock on the door was becoming more persistent. "I'm coming Claudia, hold on!"

She threw the door open to what she anticipated. Standing in the door way in flannel pajamas, with cold bare feet, was their bed bug, tears streaming down her face. Without invitation she threw herself into the waiting open arms, nearly knocking the taller woman over.

"Nightmare?" She'd wrapped her arms protectively around the distraught young woman, holding her close. "Come on. Let's go get those feet warm."

Helena was just trotting down the stairs. She'd been held up with an unsuccessful search for her top from the night before, resorting to grabbing one of Myka's much more accessible tee shirts. Handing over the customary pair of warm alpaca socks to Myka, she headed for the kitchen. "I'll go warm up some milk."

Myka sat the young woman on the sofa, wrapping the fleece blanket they kept on the shelf of the mission coffee table around her shoulders. Picking up her feet as she would a child's, she rubbed them between her hands getting some circulation started in the cold appendages before putting on the socks.

"Want to talk about it?" Myka asked quietly, sitting beside the redhead, pulling her into her arms. She felt the head shake no, and heard the beginnings of soft crying as the head buried further into her body.

"Here's the milk." Setting the cup on a coaster, Helena looked at Myka; concerned brown eye's clearly asking if the young woman was settling down yet. As Myka shook her head 'no', she sat on the other side of Claudia rubbing the flannel covered back.

Having gotten control of herself, she took a drink of the warm drink. "Hey, there's something else in here…" she eyed HG suspiciously.

"Of course there is. You're not a child anymore." At Myka's raised eyebrows, she defended herself. "A splash of brandy. I found it quiet helpful for Christina's nightmares on many occasion. It is Cognac, and a very good one at that." This apparently made all the difference in the world to HG.

Myka rolled her eyes, "I know. I saw the price tag."

Claudia finished the milk quickly, rather enjoying the new twist HG always seemed to add to her life. It was an unspoken rule between the two that nothing be said to Myka or Artie. Myka, however, was loosening up a great deal. HG had pointed out, often, she wasn't a child anymore.

Brushing the girl's hair back off her face, Myka stood up and grabbed her hand. "Come on brandy breath, let's get back to bed."

Without question, Claudia assumed her normal place between her security blankets, tears returning. Myka spooned her from behind holding her in her arms as Helena positioned herself facing the tear-stained face in front of her, pushing back the red hair and wiping the tears off her face as they appeared.

"Joshua was still stuck in the other dimension and Artie got sucked through. Myka, you and Pete got thrown out the window and were gone. I don't know why or where, but you were just gone. And then everything went black. And you, HG, you were in that limbo place again and I couldn't get you back and everyone else was gone. I kept fiddling with the sphere and you'd appear but then disappear on your own. You were crying. Steve was still dead. Everyone kept leaving me."

It had been a common theme in Claudia's nightmares, though usually not so extreme. Generally, they were limited to one or two people, usually Joshua. Myka held her closer.

Helena fought her own tears. She was familiar with similar dreams, and strong memories of her time with the sphere came to the surface. She herself ended up in the same place as Claudia was now after her own nightmares. She took one of Claudia's hands, gripping it tightly as she continued to brush back the red hair. "Well, there have been a number of changes in all of our lives recently, but we're still here. I'm sure you heard Pete snoring on your way here, and Steve is very much alive, thanks to you. Joshua is safe. Do you want to call him?" She started to get up to grab a phone.

"No. That's alright. I know he's okay."

Helena resumed her former job comforting their guest. "We have no plans of leaving anytime soon, darling. Why do you think we decided to live here? You don't even need a flashlight to get here now. You have your own little transmitter in that glorious mind of yours," she chuckled, receiving the small smile she'd hoped for. "I, at least, need your support as much as you need ours. We all do. I've come to realize its one of the requirements of this job that no one ever anticipates when they sign up. It must be in the fine print." She smiled at Claudia, giving her cold hand a slight squeeze.

Myka smiled across the pillows at her partner. It always amazed her how well she dealt with Claudia on these occasions. Helena was so much better at it than she ever was. Claudia had relaxed in her arms, but was still reluctant to move away yet. It was a routine they had gone through many times before and would happen in its own time.

A tired voice spoke into the dark. "You guys would make great moms."

Both women froze in shock, staring at each other in alarm. "HG, will you tell me a story?"

Recovering from the earlier statement, HG cleared her throat. "Always."

The warm timbre of the woman's voice quickly sent both Claudia and Myka into a sound sleep, as she lay on her back turning over the young woman's words.

* * *

The smell of fresh coffee drifted up into the loft, waking Myka. Bless Claudia. This was the one benefit of Claudia's late night visits. If she could only learn to make Helena's tea so she didn't lose half of her coffee, with the usual dialogue about its inferior qualities that accompanied it, to the woman before the tea was ready. She rolled over to face Helena, finding her wide awake staring at the ceiling. She scooted closer to the warmth she had missed. Placing her head on Helena's shoulder she kissed it before tracing her fingers lightly up and down her arm, settling on rubbing circles on the slender wrist.

"Hey, you. Smells like that little bed bug is making us breakfast again. Maybe we should give her the key back."

Helena turned her head sharply towards the warmth beside her, "Not blooming likely!"

"I missed you last night."

"I do recall did have me, darling, you just didn't end up waking up on top of me. You can get heavy at times, you know." Helena softened her words with a small smile. "I do enjoy the warmth, however. This last trip was far too long."

"I know the feeling. What's going on in that big brain of yours?" Myka pushed ever so slightly.

"Why do you ask?" Helena turned on to her side staring into the eyes boring deeply into her soul.

"I just know."

"Ah, that conversation again?" Helena ran her index finger down Myka's nose to her chin, just to be interrupted by her teeth.

"Why do you insist on doing things like that when our breakfast is being made?" She tugged her finger back, now wet from being sucked on.

"You started it…" Myka pouted. "Seriously, Helena, what's going on? Sphere nightmare or the mom thing? Or both?"

"If you knew, why did you ask?"

"Because it's your job to share." She started to roll over on the smaller woman.

"Oh, no, you don't." Helena pushed her back while squiggling out from beneath her. "I'll have none of that just to be left hanging here unsatisfied."

"Can I at least get a real good morning kiss?" Myka didn't wait for an answer and took what she wanted anyway, despite the feigned protests beside her. "We know the nightmares will never go away. You know, I have them too."

Helena jerked her head back surprised at this disclosure. "Why have you never said this before?" She placed her hand against Myka's face, thumbing her cheekbone.

"I always felt mine were minor compared to what we deal with for you. I should have told you before. I was afraid they would make yours worse. You have no idea how hard it was turning you on and off like that. Just like I'll never know what it was like to be turned off at someone else's will, just so you could be kept at hand to be used. And not being able to touch you…"

"That part I am familiar with." She smiled weakly at Myka. She leaned over, gently kissing the pouting lips in front of her, just to have her own stolen much more intensely.

Reluctantly releasing her lips Myka tentatively asked, "Do you want children?"

Helena rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know, Myka. I never gave it any thought. I never foresaw myself to be in a position to either have or want another child. I was happy with what I had and when I lost it…" Helena trailed off into a long dark silence.

"And now you find yourself having a possibility you never anticipated, now that someone has brought it to your attention."

"Exactly." She turned back on her side facing Myka's concerned face. "Part of me would love to raise a child with you, but another part is terrified. Having a child is as terrifying as it is miraculous. I don't want to prevent you from something you may want. Do you want children?"

"Honestly, Helena, I never saw myself as a mother, but that was before I had you." She started playing with the dark hair on the pillow. "I was never in a place in my life I would have ever considered it. I'm not sure that the way our lives are now would constitute the best timing." She smiled at her lover, placing a quick kiss on her nose. "I do know this. Claudia has placed a seed in our heads. It is nothing more than a seed. We think, we share, and we talk. If it is meant to be, then yes, we'll raise a child. But right now, I'm not ready to share you. You were gone a long time. And I don't mean just this last trip. Besides, we already have Claudia, who is growing into a wonderful friend. And, from the smells coming from downstairs has learned a few new tricks from Artie. I'm starving."

"I can still work up your appetite, then?" Helena grinned just before her own stomach growled.

"And apparently I do yours too. Oh, and Helena? After breakfast, I'd really like to come back to bed and just sleep next to you. It was a long a trip, and I feel kind of jipped from a two a.m. nightmare."

Getting out of bed, Helena smiled. "I think that can be arranged. I suggest we eat quickly." She started rummaging around the floor. "Where the Hell is that shirt? I couldn't find it last night."

"Which one?" Myka pulled on her jeans, craving the coffee she smelled.

"My Colorado State University sweatshirt. You threw it somewhere over here…" She kept looking under furniture and around the corner of the room.

"YOUR sweatshirt?" Myka crossed her arms watching the woman tediously looking for the disputed sweatshirt.

"What other one is there, Myka?" Helena looked up to see Myka glaring at her. "What?"

Myka went to her dresser and pulled out a sweatshirt from the drawer, throwing it at her.

"I got you another one. MY sweatshirt, that you took possession of, has too many holes in it to be of any use. And don't worry; I've broken it in for you while you've had the other one with you while you're away. It took a while." She smiled at the expression on Helena's face.

In a rare display of over-zealous affection, Helena threw herself into Myka's arms. "Thank you." She pulled the shirt over her head, jubilance radiating from her. She grabbed Myka's hand pulling her towards the stairs. "I'm still starving, and I really need some of that vile stuff from your mug while I wait for my tea."


End file.
